Method of and apparatus for refining fruit sauces



May 25, 1937.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REFINING FRUIT SAUCES Filed Dec. 27, 1935 5Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENOR.

-%z'$ ATTORNEY.

w. A. SMITH 2,081,513

Patented May 25, 1937 entree stares PATENT @FHQE ENG FRUIT SAUCESWilliam A. Smith, Lyndonville, N. Y.

Application December 2'7,

22 Claims.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved methodand apparatus for refining or clarifying fruit sauces by effectively andeconomically removing objectionable or foreign particles therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method bywhich to effect removal of various foreign particles from fruit saucesand other semi-liquid materials, which embodies the spreading or flowingof the materials on a supporting surface and employing suction producing means to pick out or withdraw from the materials the foreignparticles contained therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved methodembodying the use of suction or vacuum producing means for removing theforeign particles from fruit sauces and other materials and forrecovering or collecting such portions of the material as may to andwithdrawn with said foreign particles.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus foreffectively and economically handling and refining fruit sauces andother materials to be treated, and for carrying out the several steps ofthe method or methods described herein.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvementsand combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydecribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the endof the specification.

In the drawings:

1. is a side elevation of apparatus ,constructed in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation drawn to an enlarged scale and illustratingthe means for supporting the or layer of material to be refined orclarified;

Fig. 3 is a detailed view drawn to an enlarged scale and illustratingone of the suction nozzles and the hand grip therefor shown in Fig. 1;

4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of the invention;

r Fig. 5 is a view drawn to an enlarged scale and partly sectionillustrating a modified form of nozzle;

6 is fragmentary part sectional view showing the valve illustrated inFig. 5 in closed position, and

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating modified means for supporting andadvancing a thin layer of the material to be refined or clarified.

The reference numerals throughout the a several views indicate the sameparts.

be contiguous 1935, Serial No. 56,356 (01. 210-4) In paring, coring andslicing fruits, such, for example as apples, preparatory to making fruitsauces, it is difficult to eliminate all undesirable or foreignparticles from the prepared material, such as the seeds or seedparticles, portions of the skin and core, and discolored or defectiveportions of the apples. The presence of such particles or portionswithin the sauce is detrimental for various reasons, not only becausethey detract from its appearance and adversely affect the sale of theproduct, but render it objectionable from the consumers standpoint aswell.

The invention has for its object to provide a new and efficient methodfor effecting removal 15 of such particles from the sauce,before'delivering it to the cans or containers in which it is to be soldor placed on the market, the removal of such particles being preferablyeffected upon discharging the sauce from the apparatus employed toeifect cooling of the same. Improved apparatus for carrying out themethod is also provided as described hereinafter.

Generally speaking the method includes spreading or flowing the sauce ona belt or table in a relatively thin film or layer and employingsuitable suction means to remove the foreign particles from the sauce,either while flowing it or while it is in a stationary condition, theparticles being made readily visible by reason of the thinness of thelayer. It is preferred to flow the sauce on the table by gravity, whichsimplifies the method and shortens the time of operation, asdistinguished from the idea of attempting to remove the foreignparticles from the sauce while in a stationary condition. Furthermorethe foreign particles are more readily made visible when flowing thesauce than when it is held stationary for the reason that the particlesare shifted or turned when traveling downwardly on the inclined surfaceof the table; Furthermore the method preferably includes the idea ofilluminating the sauce when operating the suction devices for removingthe foreign particles, which, in the present instance, is effected byspreading or flowing the sauce on an illuminated glass plate or othertransparency.

The means for removing the foreign particles from the sauce by suction,preferably comprises a plurality of nozzles connected with suitablesuction producing means such, for example, as one or more vacuumchambers or containers in which are collected the foreign particles andsuch small quantities of the sauce as may adhere'to the particles or becontiguous thereto at the time the particles are the nozzles.

ing side by side Referring to which receives the sauce from the cookingapparatus is indicated at Ill, the sauce being distank through thesupply pipe H, under pressure produced by suitable means, not shown. Thepipes 12 shown connected with the tank constitute the supply anddischarge connections for the cooling fluid to be circulated through thetank.

The apparatus for filling the cans with the sauce, after it has beenrefined or clarified, is designated generally by the. reference numerall3 and includes a reservoir or receiver M to which the sauce isdischarged as described hereinafter.

A thin layer or film of the sauce to be refined is shown at IE onsuitable supporting means such, for example, as the table l6 which ispreferably formed of glass or other transparent or translucent materialin order that the film of sauce may be illuminated so that the foreignparticles indicated at l5a will stand out and be the layer of saucethereon such,

one or more electric lights l1 having reflectors I8 for directing thelight rays upwardly beneath the glass.

A suitable frame is provided for supporting the table, comprising thefront verse tie members 2| and 22 and by the longitudinally extendingtie members 23, only one of which is shown.

frame member 2!, as shown in Fig. 2. By this means the inclination ofthe table l6 may be ons.

The sauce may be discharged the table or belt by any suitable preferredmethod, but is preferably fed to an open trough-like Y receptacle 29disposed adjacent the to or spread upon adjustable if further regulateor control the flow of the sauce, as for example to vary the depth ofthe film or layer flowing downwardly upon the table.

The sauce is discharged from the lower edge of desired to the table to achute 33 having an outlet pipe 34 from the refining means discharging tothe reservoir or receiver M of the can filling machine l3, as shown inFig. 1. The

charge of the serves to protect tion devices from coming in contact withthe sauce.

In the present apparatus, the cooked or prepared sauce is pumped throughthe cooler and the therethrough. also provided with a valve 38 beingindicated at 3311.

Valves $5 and 36 are interposed in the pipes remove the forpoints atwhich whereby to effect withdrawal of such particles during operation ofthe machine.

Since the pump as is constantly connected with one or the other of thecontainers 4B and 4|, suction will be I surrounding or contiguous to thevarious particles.

residue collected within the containers reclaiming the sauce withdrawnfrom foreign particles and that when one is in use for this purpose theother will be discharging its contents to a suitable screening device orseparator such as that designated generally by the reference numeral 59in Fig. l, which may be of any well known design. To this end thecontainers are provided with outlets in their lower ends controlled bythe valves 60 and connected with a pipe 6i having a centrally disposedoutlet portion 62 discharging to a hopper 63 of the machine 59 forscreening or separating the sauce from the foreign particles. Theresidue collected by the containers 40 and 4! and alternately dischargedtherefrom to the hopper is delivered by the latter to a relatively finecircular or cylindrical screen within the housing 64 of the separator.Rotatable within the screen are a plurality of paddles, not shown,disposed on the horizontal shaft 65 driven by a belt 66 operated by apulley on the shaft of an electric motor 61, as shown in Fig. 1. Thepaddles are set at a slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the screenso that they will constantly tend to move the foreign particles andsauce mixed therewith 1ongitudinally within the screen, said particlesbeing moved to an outlet in the end of the screen from which extends apipe 68 for discharging the particles from the machine. The sauce willbe forced through the screen by the rapidly revolving paddles anddischarged to a hopper 69 beneath the screen. The sauce thus recoveredfrom the 4B and 4| is discharged from the hopper through a gravity feedpipe Hi to the pipe 34 leading from the hopper 33 beneath the table 16to the receiver M of the can filling machine l3. Thus it will be seenthat substantially all of the sauce with drawn with the foreignparticles from the refining table is recovered and delivered to the canfilling machine.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 no means is provided for reclaimingthe sauce sucked up by the nozzles with the foreign particles. Otherwisethe apparatus is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 1, exceptthat the cooler Ill and can filling apparatus l3 have been omitted. Itwill be understood, however, that this part of the apparatus can be usedwith the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 in the same manner and for the samepurpose for which it is used in Fig. 1. Thus it will be seen that it isintended to omit from the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 only the colander59 and associated parts which are employed in Fig. 1 merely for thepurpose of recovering or the table or belt by the suction nozzles.

It will be further understood that the mixture of sauce and foreignparticles accumulating within the tanks Ml and 4| of Fig. 4 will bealternately discharged therefrom the same as in the arrangement shown inFig. 1, and that the mixture will be carried off by a waste pipe 62a. toany desired point, said waste pipe being connected with the pipe asshown in Fig. 4.

The nozzles shown in Fig. 4 are the same as those shown in Fig. 1 exceptthat each is provided witi a valve for closing the same when desiredsuch, for example, as the valve shown in Fig. 6. In this arrangement thenozzle tube is indicated at H, the inner end of which is suitablyconnected with one side of a valve casing i5. The opposite side of thecasing is threaded upon a n'pple 18 forming an extension of the handgrip 51 which is the same as that shown in Fig. 1. The valve casing 15has a valve 11 therein provided with a transverse bore 18 which, whenthe valve is in the normal position shown in Fig. 5, serves to establishcommunication between the nipple 16 and nozzle tube 1 I. The valve isnormally held in the position shown in Fig. 5

' Closing of the valve is effected by force the valve operating member80 inwardly shown in Fig. 6, against the pressure of the spring 19, thevalve when released being returned to normal position by the spring. Theclosing of the valves to prevent suction through the nozzles may bemomentarily efiected whenever desired.

A modified form of a nozzle is shown in Fig. 5, which comprises the benttube Ha, having an enlarged end 12 over the mouth of which is extended arelatively fine screen 13 which will permit the sauce containing theforeign particles to pass therethrough, but which will intercept andretain such particles thereon. The screen is suitably secured on thenozzle preferably by means of a clamping ring 14. Removal of the foreignparticles from the screens may be-efiected from time to time by dippingthe ends of the nozzles in water or other liquid, or by moving them incontact with suitable means which will operate to brush, scrape, orotherwise remove said particles from the screens, it being understoodthat when thus cleaning the nozzles that the valves 11 will be held inclosed position as shown in Fig. 6. With this method of reclaiming thesauce, the colander 59 shown in Fig. 1 will be omitted, in which casethe pipe 62 will be extended to and connected with the discharge pipe34, as is the pipe in Fig. 1.

Instead of flowing the sauce by gravity on an inclined board or tableshown in Fig. 2, it may be discharged in a thin layer upon and advancedby a belt such as that shown at |6a in Fig. 7, the belt being carried bypulleys I61) supported by suitable means, not shown. In thismodification the sauce is discharged through a supply pipe 36a to atrough-like receptacle 29a, provided with a series of closely relatedperfora tions or slots 3la for discharging the sauce in a thin film orlayer upon the belt. A suitably supported strip 32a may be interposedbetween the trough and the belt for continuously spreading the sauceupon the belt during movement of the latter. The sauce is discharged bythe belt to a chute 33a corresponding to the chute 33 of Fig. 2 andhaving an outlet pipe, not shown, corresponding to the pipe 34 ofFig. 1. The inner edge 34a of the chute is placed adjacent the belt asshown in Fig. '7 so as to insure discharge of the sauce into the chute.The pipe 36a corresponds to the pipe .36 of Fig. 1 and will be connectedwith the cooler ll! in the same manner as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the nozzles shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5 may beused to withdraw the foreign particles from the layer of sauce spreadupon the belt I60. in the same manner that they are intended to be usedfor removing such particles from the layer of sauce flowing upon theboard or table l6, Fig. 2.

It will be understood that the tanks 40 and 4| and their respectivenozzles may be so located with respect to the table H5 or belt I'Sa asto permit either set of nozzles to be conveniently employed for theremoval of the foreign particles from the sauce.

I claim:

1. The method of refining fruit sauces by cles contained in 'eliminatingforeign particles therefrom, comprising spreading the sauce in a thinfilm or layer over a supporting surface, and operating suction producingmeans to withdraw said particles from the sauce.

2. The method of refining fruit sauces, comprising spreading the saucein a thin film or layer over a supporting surface, operating one or more4. The method of refining fruit sauces, comprising fiowing the sauce bygravity in a thin film or layer on a suppor tion producing means towithdraw said particles from the sauce.

6. The

ered sauce to the receiver.

7. The method of refining fruit sauces, comprising flowing the sauce'ina thin film or layer layer on collecting the'foreign particles on thescreens, and periodically removing the collected foreign particles fromthe screens.

10. In apparatus for refining fruit sauces, a

tion producing means, and one or more suction nozzles connected withsaid suction producing means and operable to withdraw the foreignparticles from the sauce.

13. In apparatus for refining fruit sauces, a table for supporting arelatively thin layer of the sauce,

means operable from the sauce.

16. In apparatus for refining fruit sauces,

a table on the supporting therein,

1'7. In apparatus for refining fruit sauces, a table for receiving thesauce, means for discharging the sauce in a thin layer upon the table,ad-

to said particles, screening means, means for alternately dischargingthe residue collected in said containers to said screening means, andmeans for operating the screening means to separate the sauce from theforeign particles.

18. In sauce refining apparatus, cooling means for the sauce, containerfilling apparatus, a table for receiving the sauce having a surfaceinclined to the horizontal, means for conveying the sauce from thecooling means to said surface including means for discharging the saucein a thin film or layer upon said surface for discharge therefrom bygravity, means for conveying the discharging sauce to said fillingapparatus, a suction chamber, a flexible tube connected with saidchamber and provided with a suction nozzle for removing foreignparticles from said layer and the sauce contiguous to said particles,screening means connected with said chamber for receiving the sauce andforeign particles accumulating therein, means for operating thescreening means to separate the sauce from said particles, and means forconveying the sauce from the screening means to said container fillingapparatus.

19. In apparatus for refining fruit sauces, a table for receiving thesauce, means for causing the sauce to spread upon the table to form arelatively thin layer thereon, suction means, a nozzle connected withthe suction means for cooperation therewith to effect withdrawal of theforeign particles from said layer and the sauce contiguous to saidparticles, and a screen on the nozzle for the passage of the sauce, thescreen serving to intercept the foreign particles whereby to separatethem from the sauce.

20. In apparatus for refining fruit sauces, a table having a surfaceinclined to the horizontal, means for discharging the sauce in a thinfilm upon said surface for fiow thereon by gravity in a relatively thinlayer, suction means, a nozzle connected with said suction means forcooperation therewith to effect withdrawal of the foreign particles fromsaid layer and the sauce contiguous to said particles, and a screen onthe nozzle for the passage of the sauce, the screen serving to interceptthe foreign particles whereby to separate them from the sauce.

21. In apparatus for refining fruit sauces, a power driven belt, meansfor discharging the sauce to and for causing it to spread upon the beltto form a relatively thin layer thereon, suction producing meansoperable to withdraw foreign particles from said layer of sauce, andmeans for efiecting removal of the sauce from the belt duringadvancement by the belt.

22. The method of refining fruit sauces by eliminating foreign particlestherefrom, comprising discharging the sauce to and spreading it in athin film or layer on a moving belt, operating suction producing meansto withdraw said particles from the sauce while being advanced by thebelt, and removing the sauce from the belt substantially at the samerate at which it is discharged thereto.

WILLIAM A. SMITH.

